About ATSU

A.T. Still University (ATSU) is the founding institution of osteopathic healthcare, established in 1892 by Andrew Taylor Still. As a leading health sciences university, ATSU is comprised of two campuses (Kirksville, Mo., and Mesa, Ariz.) on more than 200 acres with six prestigious schools. Learning environments include residential and online healthcare related graduate degrees as well as community-based partnerships worldwide. ATSU has more than 700 employees dedicated to its not-for-profit mission and an average annual enrollment of over 3,100 students from 35 countries.

ATSU is renowned for its preeminence as a multidisciplinary healthcare educator. The University is focused on integrating the founding tenets of osteopathic medicine and the advancing knowledge of today's science. ATSU continually earns distinctions as the graduate health sciences university with best-in-class curriculum and a community outreach mission to serve the underserved. The University has a rich history of leadership in both healthcare education and correlated research.

ATSU instills within students the compassion, experience and knowledge required to address the whole person and shape healthcare in communities where needs are greatest. Inspired to influence whole person healthcare, ATSU graduates contribute to the future of integrated care while also leading with a selfless passion in the communities they serve.

MISSION

A.T. Still University of Health Sciences serves as a learning-centered university dedicated to preparing highly competent professionals through innovative academic programs with a commitment to continue its osteopathic heritage and focus on whole person healthcare, scholarship, community health, interprofessional education, diversity, and underserved populations.

VISION

To be the preeminent University for health professions

VALUES

Leading innovator in health professions education

Superior students and graduates who exemplify the University’s mission

Awards and Recognition

Fit-Friendly Worksite Gold Achievement (American Heart Association)

The Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation.

A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Principles of evidence-based medicine

A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) integrated learning platform includes the principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM) alongside ATSU’s founding tenets of whole person healthcare. Students learn not only in the classroom but also in actual practice settings. The elements of evidence-based medicine can be applied to any patient treatment-oriented practice field, allowing medical and healthcare workers to provide each patient with current treatment options based on the latest, most clinically relevant research including clinical trial results.

Evidence-based medicine is defined as “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best medicine in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence-based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research" according to David L. Sackett, pioneer of evidence-based medicine, and his colleagues.

Because EBM also is used in allied fields, including dentistry, nursing and psychology, the healthcare industry is embracing a more universal term: evidence-based practice (EBP).

The need for evidence-based medicine

Studies suggest our need for best evidence occurs twice in every three outpatient visits and up to five times per inpatient visit. The amount of new medical information formed daily is overwhelming. It is impossible to know everything. With this rapid formation of data, familiar sources such as textbooks are out of date by the time they reach the shelf. The development of online EBM tools and journals containing pre-analyzed articles help individual providers keep current.

Most importantly, practicing evidence-based medicine leads to improved patient outcomes and offers the surest and most objective way to determine and maintain consistently high quality and safety.

Myths about evidence-based medicine

Evidence-based medicine is not a new concept. The term evidence-based medicine was coined in 1992 by a group at McMaster University, but clinicians have always used evidence to make decisions about patient care. The evidence just may not have been the “best" evidence due to any number of reasons.

Some fear that EBM is an example of cookbook medicine, a way to cut costs of health care, or a way to keep patients from receiving the care they deserve. None of these fears is true. There will never be one recipe that fits all patients, and as stated clearly in the definitions above, EBM involves integration of clinical expertise and individual patient values. In some cases, the results of EBM may cut costs by eliminating unnecessary procedures or treatments; however there also may be situations where it is the expensive procedure or treatment that provides the best results for patients. Along that same line, practicing EBM is a way to eliminate unnecessary expenditure which, in theory, would allow more money to decrease the treatment and diagnostic disparities present in today’s society.

Many can agree with the concept of EBM but are unsure that it can be practiced in a busy clinic. In reality, it is those busy clinicians who can benefit the most from the growth of EBM. As the search engines become quicker and the number of secondary sources grows, it will be easier than ever to find the answer to a clinical question that arises from a 15-minute office visit.

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Legal information

This website is made possible by the Academic Administrative Units in Primary Care grant D54HP05442 between A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Medicine. Margaret A. Wilson, D.O., is the project director.

The use of the A.T. Still University (ATSU) - Evidence-Based Medicine website is intended to serve as a structured set of guidelines to improve clinical practice. ATSU and its affiliates shall not be held liable for any hardships suffered or incurred as a direct or indirect result of the use or misuse of the information presented in this website, including but not limited to damage to or loss of personal property, sickness or injury from whatever source, legal entanglements, imprisonment, death, or loss of money. As with all information, the material presented in this website should be critically evaluated by the user before being implemented in a clinical setting.

Any and all information contained in this website is the property of ATSU. Reposting and redistribution of this material is strictly prohibited and is illegal without explicit written approval.

The information presented on this website comes from a variety of sources, including not only official ATSU departments, but also unofficial sources and individuals. Although every effort is made to present current and accurate information, ATSU does not author or edit all of the pages presented here and therefore cannot assume responsibility for all information. The author of each web page is responsible for the content of that page and is expected to abide by organizational policies and local, state, and federal laws.

Do you want to help improve the health of your community?
Do you desire to work in your community’s health center?
Do you aspire to be a doctor, dentist or physician assistant?

If you answered “yes,” then ATSU's Hometown Scholars may be for you!

ATSU's Hometown Scholars programs were started in response to requests from community health centers (CHCs) and other safety net providers. Hometown Scholars help ATSU meet the needs of CHCs by attracting and training dedicated, motivated, and qualified community-minded dentists.

Discover how you might become a Hometown Scholars endorsed applicant for:

Kirksville, Missouri

The best of education is represented in Kirksville. Among the notable colleges and other institutions of higher learning, Kirksville is the home of osteopathic medicine and the world’s first osteopathic university—Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine—founded by Andrew Taylor Still, DO, in 1892. Steeped in tradition and infused with innovation while always highlighting the importance of community, the city is located in northeastern Missouri in a growing city of nearly 20,000 residents. Kirksville is a thriving college community, offering a low cost of living and a high quality of life. Kirksville residents enjoy a variety of cultural and activities that appeal to a wide range of tastes. On Saturday mornings from May through October, local farmers’ markets offer fresh fruits and vegetables during the prime growing season. outdoor recreationists, a state park, five conservation areas and three large lakes are just a few miles away with camping, swimming, and boating facilities. For those who prefer to stay active in the city, a sports complex, YMCA, aquatic center, and neighborhood parks are available for public use. Kirksville also is host to several festivals and offers one-of-a-kind shopping opportunities, especially in the historic downtown area, not to mention many dining options.

Within easy driving distance of major cities such as Kansas City, Mo., St. Louis, Mo., and Des Moines, Ia., Kirksville also provides easy access to Missouri’s notable Lake of the Ozarks, Hannibal, Nauvoo, and Mennonite and Amish communities. To learn more about Kirksville and tourism information, go to www.visitkirksville.com.

Mesa, Arizona

Progressive, vibrant and diverse, Mesa, Ariz., is the state’s third largest city. It is nestled in the Valley of the Sun, boasting more than 300 days of sunshine every year. More than 468,012 residents call this dynamic urban setting their home, complete with a first-class business environment, highly educated work force, and quality of life that appeals to a variety of lifestyles.

Just west of Mesa is in the Valley of the Sun is the city of Phoenix, the capitol of Arizona and the nation’s fifth largest city. The Valley offers major league football, baseball, hockey and basketball; two national parks, including the Grand Canyon; 25 state parks; and hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. World-class golf courses, shopping, movie theatres, symphony, opera, art festivals, museums, and restaurants provide diverse opportunities to sample the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the Valley of the Sun. In the desert areas of Arizona, there is little rain or snow, and the winter temperatures are mild. Although summers are hot in the desert, there is relatively low humidity, making the actual temperatures more comfortable than in most other states during the same time frame.
To learn more about Mesa, please visit www.visitmesa.com.
To learn more about the Phoenix metro area, please visit www.visitphoenix.com.

Andrew Taylor Still was born August 6, 1828, in a log cabin in Lee County, VA around 1853, he decided to become a physician. It was common practice those days for a would-be doctor to train by studying medical books and working with a practicing physician – in this case, his father. He may have received additional, formal training at a school in Kansas City, but no records remain to establish where and when this training took place.

Personal Defeat

In 1864, Dr. Still returned from the Civil War and faced a grave personal crisis. Earlier that year, an epidemic of spinal meningitis had swept through the area and killed three of his children. He had already lost his first wife, Mary Vaughan, to childbirth complications; a month after the epidemic, the daughter born to his second wife, Mary Elvira Turner, died of pneumonia. His inability to save his family, coupled with his grim experiences as a Civil War doctor, led Dr. Still to reject most of what he had learned about medicine and search for new and better methods.

A New Revolution

Dr. Still's explorations were grounded in the study of anatomy. Having grown up as a hunter and farmer, he had a basic understanding of the structural relationships of bones, muscles, and organs – knowledge he now extended through the study of human skeletons. He became convinced that most diseases could be alleviated or cured without drugs. The key was to find and correct anatomical deviations that interfered with the free flow of blood and "nerve force" in the body.

Facing Challenges

From the beginning, Dr. Still met with considerable opposition to his new theories and techniques. The local church denounced his claims of hands-on healing as sacrilegious. His brothers were embarrassed by his outspoken questioning of medical tradition; they criticized his willingness to risk his livelihood by driving away patients and to neglect his family and farm in pursuit of his "crazy" ideas. When Dr. Still asked to present his ideas at Baker University, which his family had helped to establish in the 1850s, school officials refused him permission. In 1874, Dr. Still decided to leave Kansas and travel to Macon, Mo., where he hoped his ideas would be better received. They were not, and after a few months of trying, Dr. Still moved north to Kirksville. There he finally began to find some acceptance, enough to open an office on the town square in March 1875. Advertising himself as a magnetic healer and a "lightning bonesetter" and traveling to towns as far away as Hannibal, Dr. Still slowly built up his reputation. Word spread about the doctor whose system of drugless, manipulative medicine—officially named "osteopathy" in 1885—was able to cure many apparently hopeless cases.

Osteopathy is Born

Finding he had more patients than he could handle, Dr. Still trained his children and a few others to assist him in his practice. Finally, there were enough people who wanted to learn his methods that he was persuaded to start a school. The American School of Osteopathy (ASO) was founded in Kirksville in 1892 in a two-room frame building. The first class of five women and 16 men – including three of Still's children and one of his brothers – graduated in 1894. That institution is known today as A.T. Still University’s Kirksville School of Osteopathic Medicine, the first osteopathic university in the world that now is the preeminent leader of whole person healthcare education along with ATSU’s Arizona counterparts: School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona School of Health Sciences, College of Graduate Health Studies, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, and Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health.

More information about Dr. Still is available through ATSU’s Museum of Osteopathic Medicine, whose mission is to preserve and promote the history and tenets of osteopathy through collections and research to a global audience.

Craig Phelps, DO

Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84, is the eleventh president of ATSU. Prior to his presidency, Dr. Phelps served as ATSU’s executive vice president for strategic initiatives and as provost of ATSU’s Mesa, Ariz., campus for 12 years, overseeing the development and operations of the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, and the Arizona School of Health Sciences.

Dr. Phelps is a fellowship-trained primary care sports medicine physician and is board certified in family medicine. Practicing for more than 20 years in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Dr. Phelps served as primary care physician for the NBA Phoenix Suns and WNBA Phoenix Mercury, physician for Ballet Arizona, team physician for Grand Canyon University, and team physician for Scottsdale Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, and Gateway Community College.

Dr. Phelps is a fellow of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine, and he is a member of the Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni Association. He also served as the 2013-14 president of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association.

In 2012, Dr. Phelps was named to the Phoenix Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs and Top-Level Executives. He was chosen as one of the Phoenix-area’s 25 most admired executives based on past achievements and ongoing outstanding leadership.

A.T. Still University is home to the founding college of osteopathic medicine. It is the oldest osteopathic institution in the world, founded in 1892.

Distinctions

Andrew Taylor Still, DO, founded the tenets of osteopathic medicine in 1874.

ATSU is home of the world’s first osteopathic medical school established in 1892.

ATSU is a private, not-for-profit University focused on integrating the tenets of osteopathic medicine with advancing knowledge of today’s science.

ATSU’s learning environments include online and on campus options as well as community based partnerships worldwide.

Accreditation

A.T. Still University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 230 S. LaSalle Street; Suite 7-500; Chicago, IL 60604, Phone: 800.621.7440.

Awards and Recognition

Ranked continually in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools" guide

Higher than average levels of financial aid awards compared to other private medical schools (U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools" guide)

Number of Degree Programs (fall 2014)

Budget (Fiscal Year 2011-12)

“To find health should be the object of the doctor; anyone can find disease."– Andrew Taylor Still, DO

Osteopathic medicine is a unique form of American medical care that was developed in 1874 by Andrew Taylor Still, DO, founder and namesake of A.T. Still University (ATSU), the world’s first osteopathic medical school. Dissatisfied with 19th century healthcare, Dr. Still founded a philosophy of medicine based on ideas that date back to Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, and which focuses on the unity of the body. Dr. Still pioneered the concept of wellness and identified the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health.

Osteopathic physicians take a whole person approach to caring for patients. Instead of treating specific symptoms or illnesses, they regard the body as an integrated whole.

“Over the past few years, osteopathic medicine’s traditional principles and practices (especially those focused on patient-centered, preventive care) have been heralded as central features of the kind of health care system that reform efforts aim to implement," states Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH, President, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. “In other words, osteopathic medical schools are educating the kind of physicians this country needs, and that fact is being increasingly recognized throughout the nation."

Osteopathic medicine in practice

Today, osteopathic physicians and allied health professionals are one of the fastest growing segments of healthcare providers. They are on the cutting-edge of modern medicine, able to combine technology with compassion and their holistic approach to treating the body, mind and spirit which provides thorough care for each patient.

Osteopathic physicians can choose any specialty, prescribe drugs, perform surgeries, and practice medicine anywhere in the United States. DOs must complete the same amount of schooling and meet the same licensing requirements as MDs, with approximately 200 additional hours of training in osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Osteopathic physicians are prominent in both primary care and specialty areas of medicine, from family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology to neurosurgery and cardiology, to radiology, dermatology and neuromusculoskeletal medicine. At ATSU, they have a passion to give back and meet unmet community healthcare needs in underserved and rural settings. Students become among the most dedicated physicians and allied health professionals, the wisest of mentors and the most enthusiastic leaders who are inspired to change the future of medicine.

Osteopathic Medicine facts

Andrew Taylor Still, DO, founded the tenets of osteopathic medicine in 1874.

Kirksville, Mo., is known as the home of osteopathic medicine and the world’s first osteopathic medical school established by A.T. Still in 1892.

A.T. Still University is a private, not-for-profit University focused on integrating the tenets of osteopathic medicine with advancing knowledge of today’s science.

In 1897, Dr. Still’s students organized to form the American Association for the Advancement of Osteopathy (AAAO), or the American Osteopathic Association as it is known today.

The U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare recognized the AOA as the accrediting body for osteopathic medical education in 1952. In 1967, the AOA was recognized by the National Commission on Accrediting (now the Council for Higher Education Accreditation) as the accrediting agency for all facets of osteopathic medical education in the United States.

Federal recognition had a profound effect on osteopathic medicine, spurring a second generation of schools and a dramatic increase in the number of osteopathic physicians. The big shift came in the move to state-supported schools, starting with Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing, which graduated its first class in 1973.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) has been used to treat a variety of problems such as ear infections, sinus problems, colic in infants, and many adult maladies. It has had a success rate high enough to convince many MDs to take classes in OMM.

More than 20 percent of U.S. medical students currently are enrolled in osteopathic medical schools.

There are approximately 78,000 DOs practicing in the United States, handling more than 10 percent of all office visits in rural areas and eight percent in urban areas. DOs have a strong history of serving rural and underserved areas, often providing their unique brand of compassionate, patient-centered care to some of the most economically disadvantaged members of society.

By 2020, the number of osteopathic physicians will top 100,000, say expert predictions, according to the American Medical Association. This is good news, as the need for more osteopathic physicians delivering compassionate, comprehensive healthcare continues to rise throughout the nation and around the world.

The American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) currently accredits 29 colleges of osteopathic medicine in 37 locations.

Learn more about our osteopathic medical schools

At ATSU, our students and faculty are part of a distinguished heritage of humanistic healthcare based on an integrated approach that includes the body, mind, and spirit of each patient. All three elements work in tandem to provide a more thorough and highly personalized healthcare delivery model that promotes wellness and meets the health needs of each patient. This approach distinguishes ATSU for innovation in post-graduate healthcare education. Graduates become compassionate leaders proposing global health solutions and meeting unmet community health needs.

The whole person approach begins with a belief in the interactions of the body, mind, and spirit, and continues with an understanding of how these dimensions can be treated holistically.

Each program, from audiology to dentistry, family practice to public health, integrates the principles of whole person healthcare into its curriculum and emphasizes the important role of health education, health coaching and well-coordinated treatment plans that foster collaboration with each patient.

Integrated, experiential learning forms the base of ATSU’s educational foundation. Each student is encouraged to participate in a wellness program, to study nutrition, psychology, and problem-based learning, and to join in the many co-curricular activities that bring our faculty and students together not only to optimize learning but also to enlighten and inspire.

ATSU’s Annual Report provides a glimpse of the year’s events and achievements. To ensure the University continues on its path to preeminence and stays true to its mission, ATSU chooses three areas to concentrate its efforts each year. For 2013-14, the focus areas were scholarly activity and research, learning-centered education, and University Advancement. Read the complete 2014 Annual Report (PDF)

In compliance with the Clery Act and Section 86 of DOE regulations, the university makes the following information available to all prospective students, admitted students, and current students: Annual Security Report, Annual Fire Safety Report, and the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention policies. This information can be accessed online (see links below). A hard copy can also be requested by contacting Student Affairs at mostudentaffairs@atsu.edu or azstudentaffairs@atsu.edu; or at 660-626-2516 (Missouri) or 480-219-6126 (Arizona).

Student Complaint Resolution and Complaint Resolution Contacts

Students with complaints or concerns are encouraged to first utilize the University’s internal complaint or review policies as noted in student's school/program catalog. If the issue cannot be resolved internally, students may also file a complaint with the appropriate state agency your current state of residence (listed below).

State Contact Information for Online Students

The U.S. Department of Education requires disclosure to consumers residing in all U.S. states. The list below provides contact information for all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It should not be construed as informative of agency regulation, where an institution is licensed or in which states an institution is required to be licensed.

As a leading provider of quality healthcare for area residents, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center also provides community employment and health education. More than 80% of the staff are local residents, and many were trained at the affiliated Waianae Health Academy. Find out more.

From public health centers located in communities where services are needed most, to research and other leading edge whole person healthcare initiatives, you can create your own legacy by contributing to the specific cause that moves you most. Find out more.

When you give to A.T. Still University, you're not only supporting whole person healthcare education, you're also helping deliver it to where the care is needed most. Through our legacy program, we send students to underserved communities nationwide and conduct healthcare clinics at the university on occasion. Find out more.

Whole person healthcare takes an integrated approach that addresses body, mind and spirit as one. Students are encouraged to participate in wellness programs and study areas including nutrition and psychology to gain a more comprehensive understanding. Find out more.

Keep up with the latest developments in whole person healthcare at A.T. Still University with our complimentary newsletter and other publications. From scholarly inquiry and research to alumni activities and more. Sign up today.